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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Moving Spiritual Experience, November 28, 2007
This movie was without a doubt my most favorite scripture movie when I was growing up. And I still love it, even to this day. The story begins with Helaman, a Nephite, writing a letter to his brother Moroni (who's not really his brother in the flesh, but his brother in the Lord), telling him about the history of his army, which consists of two thousand boys. These boys in particular are the children of the people of Ammon, who are a group of Lamanites who have been converted and baptized into God's church. The other Lamanites (the Lamanites who have NOT been converted) intend to destroy the people of Ammon, and even the strength of the Nephites is no match for the enemy. The people of Ammon cannot help fight against the evil Lamanites, because they made a covenant with God that they would never shed blood again. Helaman is worried that the people of Ammon will all be destroyed. But then the sons of the children of Ammon step forward and offer to sacrifice their lives on the behalf of their people. This they are allowed to do, for it was their fathers who had made the covenant to never raise a weapon of war again. And Helaman is appointed to be the leader of these boys. He comes to love them and cherish them most dearly, as if they were his own children.
Antipus, another Nephite leader (with a much bigger army than Helaman's), devises a plan with Helaman one night, on how to use the two thousand stripling warriors in battle without risking the chance of anyone losing a life. Helaman is to take his sons (as he comes to call them, for they are all very young, and he loves them as if he were their father) and march to a city. Ammaron, a wicked leader of a wicked army of Lamanites, will follow them, and Antipus and his own army will follow Ammaron and eventually take him by surprise, forcing him and his soldiers to turn around and fight. In this way, the enemy will be defeated, and Helaman's sons will never have to so much as raise a sword. Helaman is fearful for the safety of his sons, but he agrees with the plan. So he gathers his sons together the following morning and they all begin their march. Ammaron, who is intent on conquering every Nephite city in the entire nation, and slaying anyone who gets in his way, hears of Helaman's army, and he finds it quite ludicrous that the soldiers are nothing but mere children. But he decides that his soldiers could use the practice anyhow, and so he goes after Helaman, with Antipus and his army secretly following them.
At first, the plan is going quite smoothly. Everyone in Helaman's army is safe, and Ammaron is right where he is wanted. But then one of Ammaron's soldiers discovers of Antipus' plot, and soon Ammaron finds out for himself. Ammaron is furious at being drawn out of his stronghold like this. The soldier informs his leader that even if they did turn and fight Antipus, Helaman's soldiers could still come and attack them from the rear. So Ammaron devises a little plan of his own. He decides it's time to fight fire with fire. One day, Antipus receives a message. The message says that Ammaron intends to slay all the sons of Helaman before he will turn around and fight Antipus. Antipus will not allow innocent blood to be shed on his behalf, and he and his soldiers increase the speed of their march. Meanwhile, Helaman hears that Ammaron is coming, and he realizes that something has gone wrong with the plan. So he and his sons flee into the wilderness, with Ammaron in hot pursuit. Eventually Helaman and his sons realize that they're not being followed anymore. They figure that either it's a trap, or that Antipus has caught Ammaron from behind. Helaman's sons tell their leader that they must go and fight Ammaron. Helaman tells his sons that he was given orders to keep them out of battle. His sons remind him that the army of Antipus is only half the size of the army of Ammaron. They also remind him that God is with them, and that if they have faith in Him and never doubt, He will preserve their lives. Helaman agrees, and commands his sons to prepare for battle.
We then find ourselves in the middle of a fierce battle between Antipus and Ammaron. The Nephites are hopelessly outnumbered by the evil Lamanites, and one by one they are struck down to the earth. Antipus himself is attacked and gravely wounded. But just when it seems like Ammaron's army is going to win, the two thousand stripling warriors rush into battle, armed with weapons and faith. The Lamanites attempt to kill them as well, but God is with Helaman's army, and before long, it's the Lamanites who are falling. Eventually Ammaron gives up altogether and retreats with the remainder of his army. We see no more of Ammaron after that. Helaman finds Antipus lying at the point of death, and he takes him to a private clearing in the woods and holds his dying friend in his arms while Antipus apologizes. Antipus then passes away, and Helaman grieves for him. When the last of the Lamanite army has gone away, there are quite a few dead bodies scattered on the ground. In addition to his great sorrow over the death of Antipus and the death of so many souls, Helaman is afraid that some of his beloved sons may have perished in battle. But to his immense relief, not one of his sons have fallen. Not a single one. God had saved them all. Helaman is so happy that he actually goes around and embraces each of his sons affectionately, one by one. We then see him shedding tears of joy and gratitude, and this is where the movie ends.
This video is a must-have for every family. The animation is great, the acting is superb, and the music is brilliant. Aside from being wildly entertaining, this video also contains great spiritual themes. It plainly teaches us that we must learn to rely on God at all times, and that He is always there for us when we need Him, and that we should not be afraid to fight for what we believe in. It teaches us that we are all soldiers (spiritual soldiers, so to speak), and that we must all wear the full armor of God, and endure the battle to the very end.
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Shocking, November 28, 2007
South Park told the story a lot more accurately and quickly; this is to be avoided unless you've already been brainwashed, and in that case you don't need to see it.
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